Format strings to Right-Justify when an application calls printing

This article introduces how to format strings to Right-Justify when an application calls printing.

Original product version:   Visual Basic
Original KB number:   217012

Summary

There are several different ways to right-justify strings using the Format function:

• Use the @ character.

• Use the RSet function.

• Use workarounds with the Format$ function.

Using the @ character

1. Format the number into a string with numeric conversion characters, for example, $##0.00.

2. Format the resulting string with a format string consisting of a number of @ characters equal in length to the desired format, for example, @@@@@@@.

The following code sample formats several numbers using seven @ characters and a seven character format, $##0.00.

 Print "|" & Format$(Format$(1.5, "$##0.00"), "@@@@@@@") & "|"
 Print "|" & Format$(Format$(12.5, "$##0.00"), "@@@@@@@") & "|"
 Print "|" & Format$(Format$(123.5, "$##0.00"), "@@@@@@@") & "|"

The output is;

|  $1.50|
| $12.50|
|$123.50|

Using the RSet function

When used in conjunction with RSet, the format function works on fixed-length strings. The following code sample illustrates the use of RSet:

 x = (Format$(123.5, "$##0.00"))
 Print "x" & x & "x"
 RSet x = (Format$(1.5, "$##0.00"))
 Print "x" & x & "x"

The output is:

x$123.50x 
x $1.50x

Workarounds using the Format$ function

The Format$ function does not right-justify strings when used with the # symbol. The first code sample uses the Len function to determine how many spaces need to be added to the left of the string representing the number, in order to right justify the string:

 required = 8 ' longest number expected
 a = 1.23
 b = 44.56
 num1$ = Format$(a, "#0.00")' this converts the number to a string
 num2$ = Format$(b, "#0.00")' with 2 decimal places and a leading zero
 'Debug.Print num2$
 If (required - Len(num1$)) > 0 Then
 num1$ = Space$(required - Len(num1$)) + num1$
 End If

If (required - Len(num2$)) > 0 Then
 num2$ = Space$(required - Len(num2$)) + num2$
 End If
' test output
 Print num1$
 Print num2$

The output is:

 1.23
44.56

The second Format$ sample is reprinted with the permission of its author, Karl Peterson. His LPad function uses the Right$ function:

Private Function LPad(ValIn As Variant, nDec As Integer, _
 WidthOut As Integer) As String
'
' Formatting function left pads with spaces, using specified
' number of decimal digits.
'
 If IsNumeric(ValIn) Then
     If nDec > 0 Then
         LPad = Right$(Space$(WidthOut) & _
         Format$(ValIn, "0." & String$(nDec, "0")), _
         WidthOut)
     Else
         LPad = Right$(Space$(WidthOut) & Format$(ValIn, "0"), WidthOut)
     End If
 Else
     LPad = Right$(Space$(WidthOut) & ValIn, WidthOut)
 End If
End Function

Step by step sample

1. Start a new Visual Basic Standard EXE project. Form1 is created by default.

2. Add four CommandButton controls to Form1. Position them to the far right of the form window.

3. Add the following code to the General Declarations section of Form1:

   Option Explicit
   
   Private Sub Command1_Click()
       Me.Print "|" & Format$(Format$(1.5, "$##0.00"), "@@@@@@@") & "|"
       Me.Print "|" & Format$(Format$(12.5, "$##0.00"), "@@@@@@@") & "|"
       Me.Print "|" & Format$(Format$(123.5, "$##0.00"), "@@@@@@@") & "|"
   End Sub
   
   Private Sub Command2_Click()
       Dim x As String
       x = (Format$(123.5, "$##0.00"))
       Me.Print "x" & x & "x"
       RSet x = (Format$(1.5, "$##0.00"))
       Me.Print "x" & x & "x"
   End Sub
   
   Private Sub Command3_Click()
       Dim required As Integer
       Dim a As Single
       Dim b As Single
       Dim num1$, num2$
   
       required = 8 ' longest number expected
       a = 1.23
       b = 44.56
       num1$ = Format$(a, "#0.00")' this converts the number to a string
       num2$ = Format$(b, "#0.00")' with two decimal places and a leading zero
       'Debug.Print num2$
       If (required - Len(num1$)) > 0 Then
           num1$ = Space$(required - Len(num1$)) & num1$
       End If
   
       If (required - Len(num2$)) > 0 Then
           num2$ = Space$(required - Len(num2$)) & num2$
       End If
       ' test output
       Me.Print num1$
       Me.Print num2$
   End Sub
   
   Private Sub Command4_Click()
       Dim xstring As String
       xstring = LPad(2.3, 2, 7)
       Me.Print "K" & xstring & "K"
       End Sub
   
       Private Sub Form_Load()
       Command1.Caption = "@"
       Command1.Font.Size = 18
       Command2.Caption = "Rset"
       Command3.Caption = "Format$"
       Command4.Caption = "VBPJ"
       Me.Font.Name = "Courier New"
   End Sub
   
   Private Function LPad(ValIn As Variant, nDec As Integer, _
   WidthOut As Integer) As String
   '
   ' Formatting function left pads with spaces, using specified
   ' number of decimal digits.
   '
       If IsNumeric(ValIn) Then
           If nDec > 0 Then
               LPad = Right$(Space$(WidthOut) & _
               Format$(ValIn, "0." & String$(nDec, "0")), _
               WidthOut)
           Else
               LPad = Right$(Space$(WidthOut) & Format$(ValIn, "0"), WidthOut)
           End If
       Else
           LPad = Right$(Space$(WidthOut) & ValIn, WidthOut)
       End If
   End Function
   

4. Run the program, click the command buttons, and observe the results.